Arresting Predicament
by gidgegirl
Summary: Birds of a feather, cuffed together.


"Miss Swan! If you do not fix this situation right _now_ I can assure you, there will be dire consequences."

"Yeah Regina, this is exactly how I imagined spending my Saturday."

The two were standing face to face, arguing due to the predicament they found themselves in. A sound from the elaborate stairway of Regina Mills' home caught their attention and both heads turned to see their son, Henry.

Clearing his throat, the boy stood in a hesitant stance.

"How's it going?"

He smiled, his face giving away the worry his voice tried to hide. Emma smiled at him and began to walk over only to halt abruptly. Looking back, her eyes trailed from the apparent scowl on Mayor Mills' face down to the other woman's arm. The shiny metal joined around Regina's wrist connected to her own. Groaning internally, Emma calmly looked to the mayor, pulling gently.

Shuffling footsteps followed her to their son, the feeling of apprehension falling off Regina in waves. Henry did not waver, though stood uneasily. He looked up to Regina and tried to smile comfortingly. Emma frowned watching the exchange of the estranged mother and son.

Emma lowered herself to his eye level and gave him a smirk.

"Just fine, kiddo," she said. "Hey, I've got an idea." She looked to Regina for reinforcement, but saw nothing but a blank face. The brunette was gazing at Henry, though remained expressionless. Emma's sixth sense kicked in, telling her madam mayor was feigning something yet again. The feeling was definitely familiar. Turning back to her son, she used her free hand to slightly ruffle his hair.

"Why don't you go over to Snow's apartment and hang out with her for a while? Clearly this is going to take longer than we had originally thought."

He laughed uneasily, but nodded and ran upstairs. Emma simply turned to Regina and glared. The reserved brunette returned the look equally, neither of them backing down.

Plodding back down the stairs, Henry's heavy footfalls broke them from their staring contest.

He smiled again as he made his way to the door, though Emma could see it didn't quite reach his eyes. Taking one last look at them he headed out the door and both mothers watched as he made his way down the walk, disappearing around the corner to walk the few blocks that he had become acquainted with since he no longer lived at the mayoral mansion full time.

Sighing, Emma walked back inside as Regina followed and closed the door to the world.

Looking down at the rather loud clinking sound of the cuffs' chain, the mayor flipped her head back up to the blonde, shooting her a rather irritated look.

"What do you want me to say, exactly, Regina? I've apologized already, there's not much more I can do. Stop giving me that look."

Emma shifted uneasily on her feet. She looked up at Regina, though not fully as if to avoid the wrath of the evil queen.

Regina glared. If possible, it was more enraged than the previous looks had been.

"Miss Swan, I do not want apologies from you," she said. "You've given me plenty. What I want," she hesitated, looking Emma directly in the eye. "Is results."

"Regina! I told you that my magic has been completely unpredictable since I realized it even existed! Why can't you understand that?" She huffed and stood back, collecting herself instead of beginning another argument.

"I don't even know how I did this, Regina," she said calmly. "How am I supposed to undo it?"

Breathing heavily, the mayor shot Emma a condescending look.

"Do you not have a key for situations such as this?"

"I told you already, it won't work! I tried it half an hour ago, remember?"

Emma strained to keep her face steady. Her voice remained even though Regina detected a bit of tension underlying her statement.

She straightened, pulling back the glare from the sheriff and stood tall, speaking with a cool demeanor.

"Alright," she said. "Let's just work through this together. Neither of us wants to be here, so the sooner we fix it, the sooner we can be done with this ridiculous exercise."

Emma sighed, nodding at the rational words of the mayor.

"The only way-besides conventional means of unlocking-to get these off would be to fulfill whatever thought or wish or whatever it was you were hoping for when your magic created this predicament," she said, sighing at their hands joined by the uncomfortable metal.

"What were you thinking of just before this happened, Miss Swan?"

Hesitating, Emma looked down at her feet and remained quiet. Regina stood solemnly, though her facial expression betrayed the calm she communicated to her chained companion.

Moving her eyes upward, the blonde chewed her lower lip. Huffing out quickly, she threw her hands-hand-up in the air.

"I don't know! How should I remember?"

Groaning in frustration, Regina put her hands to her temple, causing Emma's left arm to follow her right.

"Think very carefully, Miss Swan."

Emma sighed. There was a beat of silence.

"I really can't recall, Regina."

"Ughhhh!"

Emma covered her mouth, holding her free hand over a grin that was threatening to form on her lips as Regina stomped out of the foyer and into the kitchen. Sitting down heavily at a chair, the mayor dropped her head into her arms folded in front of her on the table.

Unfortunately, Emma was pulled down into the brunette as a result. Regina tried to push the blonde off of her, but of course could not due to the hindrance the kept them chained together.

Emma looked over the pitiful sight of Madame Mayor suddenly unable to cope and sighed heavily.

"Alright, Regina, you win," she said. "I think I know what caused this."

Perking up, Regina turned to face the sheriff and brushed the dark locks away from her own face.

"You do? Wonderful, Miss Swan! Now can you please tell me so we can figure out a way to get these damn things off?"

Emma shuddered slightly when Regina swore. Her lips remained tight as the mayor stared at her.

"Miss Swan."

"Al_right_. But you're not gonna like it."

"I doubt I could care less about what goes on in your mind, Miss Swan. I only want to return to a normal life; one that doesn't involve being chained to you permanently."

Regina's voice held less conviction in her last sentence than it had in the beginning of her rant. Emma looked at the floor, the cabinets, the table; everywhere but Madame Mills.

"I'm waiting, Miss Swan."

Her heel tapped on the floor as she stood in patience for Emma to speak.

"I was thinking..." She sighed and looked to the ceiling. "I was thinking about handcuffs...and-and you were sort of involved..."

Regina's brow furrowed.

Emma looked away guiltily, a red pallor covering her cheeks and Regina's face suddenly became a canvas of shock. Slowly the color drained from her face and she was no longer able to look at Emma.

"Oh, I see." Clearing her throat upon hearing the deep huskiness of her tone, Regina suddenly averted her gaze to the pattern of her wooden table.

"Yeah..." Emma said. And the silence continued until Regina spoke.

"Well," she looked back to Emma, flipping bangs away from her own face and straightening the blazer she was wearing as a smirk formed on her face.

"Then there's really only one way to fix this."

And without another word Regina grabbed Emma's collar, pulling her toward her in a passionate kiss.


End file.
